Beach information, bathing-water quality, coastal conditions, environmental monitoring and practical updates for communities and visitors around Ireland.
Ireland continues to have overwhelmingly high bathing-water standards, with 98 per cent of officially designated sites meeting the required standard in the latest national…
Read articleGalway County Council
EPA alert data last synced 24 Aug 2026, 03:20.
Current restrictions and beach signage take priority over annual classifications and individual sample results. Conditions can change between samples.
Trá na bhForbacha, Na Forbacha is classified as achieving Good Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Trá na bhForbacha, Na Forbacha achieved an Excellent Water Quality rating in 2024, 2023 and 2022. Annual water quality ratings are generally calculated using monitoring results over a four-year period and are assessed against stringent bacterial limits to protect bather health.
| Date | Sample status | E. coli | Intestinal enterococci |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Aug 2026 | Excellent | 20 | <2 |
| 27 Jul 2026 | Excellent | 52 | 23 |
| 6 Jul 2026 | Excellent | 41 | 9 |
| 22 Jun 2026 | Excellent | 31 | 3 |
| 2 Jun 2026 | Excellent | 74 | 26 |
| 25 May 2026 | Excellent | <10 | 3 |
Trá na bhForbacha is a sandy beach and can be subject to very strong wave action and currents. The beach supports a wide variety of shellfish, birds, animals and plants. Seals and otters may be spotted along the coastline. Trá na bhForbacha is a proposed Natural Heritage Area. Activities include swimming, bathing and water sports.
Managed by Galway County Council.
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